Dacia Sandero
All-new £8k small hatch will have you questioning why you’d need to spend more On sale February 2021 Price from £7995
Modern underpinnings for budget hatch
IF THE RISE of low-price supermarket chains such as Aldi and Lidl has taught us anything, it’s that we Brits love a bargain. It’s perhaps surprising, then, that eight years after Dacia started selling cars in the UK for much less money than anyone else, the Renault-owned brand still has next to no competition.
Indeed, the Ford Fiesta-sized Sandero has held the title of Britain’s cheapest new car ever since it arrived on our shores in 2013. And it’s been a perennial price point winner at our annual Car of the Year Awards for that entire time, principally because, if you had less than £10,000 to spend, you either bought a Sandero, upped your budget considerably or started scouring the classifieds for second-hand cars.
But while the old Sandero was certainly cheap, it wasn’t hard to see where the money had been saved. Even when it was launched, it felt like a car from a bygone age, which is probably because that’s essentially what it was; it was based on ancient underpinnings that could be traced all the way back to the Nissan Micra of 2002.
To be honest, we were expecting more of the same from this new version: a low price, but outdated technology. Then news filtered down that the new Sandero would be based on the same underpinnings as the latest Renault Clio, which is a fine small hatchback and one that’s barely a year old. A lot of the safety kit from that car also features, with automatic emergency braking standard across the range, along with six airbags (two more than before) and an SOS system to alert the emergency services if you’re involved in an accident.
The price? Well, somehow that stays at £7995
for the entry-level Access model. For that figure, on top of the safety kit we’ve mentioned already, you get dusk-sensing LED headlights, electric front windows and a smartphone cradle on the dashboard, although you do have to make do with a 64bhp non-turbocharged petrol engine. We haven’t tried this yet, but trust us: it’ll be slow. Very slow.
Instead of that, you’ll want the 1.0-litre turbo (TCE) engine, which has a respectable 90bhp and – partly because you’re forced to upgrade to mid-rung Essential trim to get it – starts at £9995. Essential adds body-coloured bumpers for a less budget-focused look, a height-adjustable driver’s seat with armrest, air conditioning, cruise control, remote central locking and a basic infotainment system with a DAB radio, Bluetooth and a USB port.
However, we reckon range-topping Comfort trim is worth the extra if you can stretch to £11,595. For that, you get wheels that do a great impression of alloys, as well as electrically adjustable body-coloured door mirrors, electric rear windows, parking sensors, a reversing camera, rain-sensing wipers, keyless entry and an 8.0in touchscreen with Apple Carplay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring. And if
that sounds like an over-indulgence, remember that only a handful of tiny city cars, including the Fiat Panda, are available for less, and as weedy-engined, meagerly equipped versions at that. For more context, a similarly specified, similarly powerful Volkswagen Polo has an asking price of nearly £20,000.
Forking out an additional £400 gives the TCE engine an extra 10bhp and the ability to run on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as well as petrol, potentially saving you money on fuel bills. Likewise, £1200 extra gets you an automatic gearbox, although this is available only with range-topping Comfort trim and not if you’ve gone for the Bi-fuel option.
As with the old Sandero, an Suv-inspired Stepway version is offered, with prices starting from £10,995. This provides an extra 174mm of ground clearance, plastic-clad wheel arches and the choice of an exclusive Prestige trim, which adds proper alloys, front parking sensors, climate control and blindspot monitoring.
Whichever version you opt for, the driving position is much better than in the old Sandero. That’s partly because, as long as you avoid entry-level Access trim, you get a steering wheel that adjusts for both height and reach, and also because the seats are much more supportive. Another thing that blighted the previous-generation Sandero was a cramped
pedal area with nowhere to properly rest your left foot. We can’t say for sure if this has been resolved in right-hand-drive cars, but in the left-hand-drive models we’ve tried, there’s little to grumble about.
The Sandero is one of the biggest small cars, too. You’ll fit a couple of tall adults in the back quite easily, with only the Tardis-like Honda Jazz being noticeably more accommodating. And, while the boot isn’t particularly clever (there’s no height-adjustable boot floor, for instance), it is very big. Indeed, we managed to fit six carry-on suitcases below the parcel shelf – one more than the Jazz and Polo can swallow and a match for the Seat Leon from the class above. You will need to pay for at least Essential trim if you want 60/40 splitfolding rear seats, though.
So, with such a promising package, where exactly have the savings been made? Well, the Sandero doesn’t have a lot of posh materials in its interior. The dashboard, for example, is made from hard plastic – but then so is the Hyundai i20’s, and that’s a much more expensive car. Plus, to smarten things up, Dacia has borrowed a trick used by Peugeot for years by fitting fabric inserts on the doors and across the face of the dashboard. Throw in some chrome-edged air-con dials and the end result is a surprisingly pleasant place in which to while away a journey.
We’re pretty sure the interior isn’t stuffed with as much sound-deadening material as more expensive cars in this class, though, because the new Sandero isn’t as quiet on the move as a Peugeot 208 or a Polo. There’s some wind noise at 70mph, but it’s the whistle from the TCE engine’s turbocharger and the whine from the gearbox that are most obvious. Then again, the Sandero isn’t anywhere near as rowdy as, say, a Suzuki Ignis, so background noise is something you’re aware of rather than overly annoyed by.
The new Sandero is surprisingly good to drive, too. Low-speed driveability is vastly better than in its predecessor, so you no longer have to make a special effort to keep things smooth when pulling away and crawling along in stop-start traffic; it just happens naturally, thanks to a positive clutch action and light sixspeed manual gearshift. Soft suspension also makes for one of the comfiest rides in the class, no matter what speed you’re doing.
Just don’t expect to have much fun behind the wheel; the new Sandero is easy and pleasant to drive rather than being especially enjoyable. A used Ford Fiesta would be a better bet if fun is a big priority, thanks to its much sharper steering and tighter body control through bends. But then you wouldn’t have the reassurance of a warranty; every Sandero has three years of cover (capped at 60,000 miles).
Make no mistake: there will always be buyers prepared to spend twice the money on a posh badge, so the likes of the Audi A1 and Mini hatchback won’t be in the least bit troubled by the new Sandero. But manufacturers of less upmarket alternatives, from the Fiesta to the Jazz to the Polo, should be very nervous about the arrival of a car that massively outscores them all for value and yet is genuinely good in all the areas that matter every day.